A New Jersey Assembly committee will hold a hearing at the Meadowlands Racetrack next Thursday to discuss the prospect of casino gambling in North Jersey.

Governor Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney don’t want casinos to be opened anywhere else in New Jersey until they give plans to revitalize Atlantic City a few years to succeed.

Assembly Gaming Committee chairman Ruben Ramos says the hearing will examine the future potential for putting a casino at the Meadowlands.

 “We’re all committed definitely to the four to five year plan we have in Atlantic City to see the revitalization of that taking place there.  So it’s really a setup for down the road where we could be prepared to strike as soon as everyone comes on board.”

Another member of the committee, Ralph Caputo says the state needs to act quickly, given the appeal of casinos in nearby New York and Pennsylvania.

 “We’re under a tremendous amount of stress in trying to deal with this, and I think that the location in the Meadowlands is a perfect opportunity for the state to regain a lot of this revenue. If we had a casino there it would probably produce a billion dollars a year.”